It is important to follow federal regulations for army gift-giving.
Many people wish to express their gratitude to United States Army service members. Service groups and individuals commonly give traditional gifts to deployed active duty soldiers, deployed reservists and wounded veterans. Army service members and their loved ones are expected to follow federal gift-giving rules when receiving gifts. Unsolicited gifts can be accepted, but not from prohibited sources. Rules and regulations do not pertain to families of deceased army service members, unless they are federal employees.
Definition of a Gift
Federal regulations label contributions, donations, discounts, loans and other items with monetary value as gifts. The United States Army places gifts into one of two classes, conditional and unconditional gifts. According to the United States Military Academy as of 1983, gifts over $1,000.00 in value are treated as conditional gifts. Gifts under $1,000.00 dollars in value will normally be treated as unconditional gifts.
Gift Processing
Conditional and unconditional gifts are processed differently. For conditional gifts, it is necessary for the Secretary of the Army to formally approve acceptance of gifts. Prospective donation groups must provide written offers of gifts and sign them prior to giving the gift to the installation commander. The major Army commander reviews written offers and formally processes the offer if accepted. Conditional gifts are paid to the Treasurer of the United States. Unconditional gifts go to the unit welfare fund.
Acceptable Items
There are exceptions to what gifts troops can accept. Food items, cards, trophies and certificates are allowed for acceptance. A United States Army service member is able to accept cash gifts, as long as they do not take more than $50.00 in a year from the same source. Retailers often offer special military discounts to all military personnel for special holidays. Commercial company discounts are acceptable. Although gifts cannot be accepted from defense contractors, they usually make donations through charities and relief organizations. Charitable organizations allow service members to request donated items. Troops overseas place requests for items such as music players and boots from charities. Those that engage in business practices with the United States Army or other branches of the military, are considered prohibited sources. The solicitation of gifts is strongly prohibited.
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